AI-Generated Music is incredibly already coming of age!

Udio at its core operates very similarly to Suno - it generates Instrumentation, Vocals and Lyrics from a prompt - and presents you with 2 examples each time.

However the size of segment here is just 33 seconds, and you then build up the track by adding 'Extensions' which can come before or after he root stem, and you can then select to add Intro and Outro 33 second segments.

In some ways I prefer the Udio interface - it's more visible and obvious in many ways, while Suno has some tricks of its own - including the excellent and very handy 'Instrumental' selection button.

For my Udio-generated track I had to add 3 further 'Extensions' to the track to bring it up to the 2 minute mark - or specifically 2:10.

This track 'Kaleidoscope Heartbeats' took me more than a dozen attempts to generate. Udio kept generating music in wholly the wrong genre, and with male vocals - so multiple attempts were necessary.

I often consider that experience similar to being at the opticians - where you're constantly presented with A/B choices and you have to decide which option suits you sensibilities better!

So often it's a case of perseverance!

There are of course some glitches to be found on each platform - I've been wholly unable to generate a Video download from Udio - it just flashes up the message "Please try again later. Video is being generated!" while nothing ever happens there - you leave if for several minutes or hours even, and still get the same alert flashing up.

By the same token I was wholly unable to Extend by Suno track - it made several attempts - but each time just came up with dummy files - which had 'Credits Refunded' labels applied to the empty files. Actually - note that Suno works on a system of Credits, while Udio works on a system of 'Daily Priority Generations'.

Generally Suno is quicker, but Udio can be more creative, and is more generous with the attempts it affords you.

In any case here is my Udio generated track 'Kaleidoscope Heartbeats' - which was generated with the same prompt as 'Butterfly Dreams' but took a lot more attempts, and includes 3 Extensions.

As mentioned - despite numerous attempts across numerous tracks I was never able to download a Video version on Udio, while that worked instantly for me on Suno.

On the other hand - Udio extended tracks with ease, which Suno never managed to do - just kept generating empty files with 'Credits Refunded' tags.

The format I've spent more time with us Udio - as it allows me to shape my track better, while both platforms are equally capable of incredible and very creative results. Obviously the lyrics can be a little cheesy and awkward at times - but all-round this is incredibly impressive.

My very first AI-Generated track was the below Udio-Generated 'Jetstream Adventures' - which I was able to extend a maximum 7 times - to produce a pretty impressive track length of 4:22 - which does seem to be the ceiling currently for that platform. I kind of ran out of road on that one - so it doesn't have an Outro - but still kind of mostly works fine!

So far this has all been very much on the Liquid Drum and Bass tip - while I've experimented with various genres - including Jazz, Metal and Disco too!

As a final sound sample here follows the Clarinet, Piano, Bass, Drums Jazz Swing Quartet song I generated for my Dad - again courtesy of Udio!

This took quite a few attempts to get right - as Udio couldn't get the Genre quite right to being with, and threw in a whole load more instrumentation than it was supposed to at times.

In any case I persevered and created a proper Jazz Swing track with mostly the instrumentation it was intended to have - even though the Clarinet sounds a little Saxophone-y in the beginning.

This is all very typical for both platforms - both were abjectly poor in attempting to generate female led vocals Rap Metal - mostly they just totally failed - and each version was very much male-fronted!

You need patience and perseverance to get the best out of both platforms - which I still feel are very much in their infancy. I can only imagine how good these will be in a year to two's time. With the ability to edit Stems too in all kinds of incredible ways - like having a proper collaborative music creation session with a a band - interacting to your commands.

At the moment it's a touch a lottery at times / crapshoot - while you get incredible results a lot of the time.

As a next step I will be a little more active in creating my own lyrics, and seeing how the two platforms deal with those. You sometimes get odd vocalisations - trying to fit word into the meter - where both platforms occasiionally 'fudge' things - a little like the vocalist forgetting the lyrics and mumbling at times.

Generally though - this technology is already totally amazing!

I selected Suno.com and Udio.com as they're generally held to be the leading lights for AI-Generated Music Platforms. And each is capable of delivering incredible results - but not without some challenges and glitches.

The Genre association can be particularly flakey at times - while Suno is typically more accurate in accordance with your prompt, albeit in a MidJourney kind of way - Udio can be more 'creative'.

I feel the best track generated was the Suno-created 'Butterfly Dreams' while that was only 1:52 minutes long, and I was wholly unable to extend it. Suno tough did deliver a Video Download pretty much instantly Generally Suno seems quicker at processing your prompts. Where you can on occasion wait several minutes on Udio - but Suno is typically just a minute or so.

Generally I prefer the Udio interface and help references - in some ways it works a little slicker - while the output of both platforms is pretty much equal in quality, I was unable to Extend Udio tracks beyond 7 Extensions - which of course was a lot better than the 0 Extensions / Credits Refunded nonsense from Suno. While Udio seems wholly incapable of generating video downloads - which Suno seems to do rather effortlessly.

The music industry has of course reacted in a typical luddite fashion - calling for both platforms to be banned. I'm sorry - the genie is out of the bottle already!

I still favour proper Live Music Gigs - while I also loved the very much AI-Assisted ABBA Voyage Show - which still had a sizeable live band on stage at all times.

There are still magical songsmiths out there in the world for whom these platforms aren't really a threat right now - but they probably will be - with a little more sophistication - in two years time.

I don't really want to go to much into the ethics of Generative AI Music - this article is really just about the technology and possibilities.

I feel that a good way to end this is with proper real live music - and showcase the latest brilliant single from our good friend Steve Hinds' Motorcycle Display Team Band. Steve is of course Head of Digital at Travel Trade Gazette. This song deserves to go all the way to the top!